Skate.



No. 875,905. PATENTED JAN. 7, 1908. G. FLETCHER.

SKATE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.27,1907.

WITNESSES INVENTOH @ffazmi diZerifZeicf:

A TTOHNE YS GILBERTFLETCHER, OF HOUGHTON, MICHIGAN.

SKATE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 7, 1908.

Application filed April 27. 1907. Serial No. 370,632,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, GILBERT FLETCHER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Houghton, in the county of Houghton and State of Michigan, have invented a new and Im roved Skate, of which the following is a full clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to skates capable of general adaptation, but designed especially 7 from recesses or openings of any kind in which snow and similar substances may lodge, and also free from openings into which a stick may enter and trip the user or allow the uck to pass through.

T e invention is also designed to provide a strong, firm, even connection between the skate and the shoe of the user, to add strength where there is the greatest strain, and to enable a skate when detached from the shoe of the user to be readily repaired. Other objects relating to the specific construction and special arrangement of the several arts will be understood from the following escri tion and accompanying drawings, in which awings like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the views, and in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a device embodying my invention attached to a shoe; Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a similar section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line 44 of Fig. 1.

As illustrated in the drawings, a runner 1 is provided with a tongue 2 inclined upward from the forward end of the runner, the end 3 of the runner and lower end of the tongue being preferably curved upward from the lower edge of the runner, as shown in Fig. 1. The runner is attached to a shell comprising similar oppositely disposed plates 4 attathed by means of rivets 5 at their lower edges to the runner 1, and at their forward ends to the tongue 2, the edge of the side plates being provided with a flange 6 having perforations adapted to receive the rivets 5. The upper edge of the runner preferably projects into the interior of said shell, and the u perportion of the runner may be reduce so as to form recesses 7 adapted to receive the flanges 6 of the shell, and permit the flanges 6 of the shell lates to extend flush with the sides of the b ade 1, and also to furnish a bearing for the lower edge of said flanges, thereby enabling the flanges to resist the severel ateral strains commonly exerted upon the runner, the inner ed e 8 of the tongue 2 being similarly reduced toreceive the forward ends of the shell plates. The rear ends 9 of the shell plates may be riveted directly together, or a tongue similar to the tongue 2 may be interposed between the ends 01 the shell plates so as to make the heel end ofthe skate substantiall similar in construction to, the toe end. Similarly, the tongue 2 may be dispensed with and the forward ends of the shell plates riveted directly together in the same manner as the rear ends of the shell plates shown in Figs. 1 and 4..

The plates forming the shell of the skate are provided on their upper portions with laterally extending flanges 10having perforations 11 adapted to receive screws 12 by means of which the shell may be attached directly to a shoe along the entire length thereof, so as to form a continuous bearing for the ball, heel and shank of the shoe. The shell plates extend in vertically inclined straight lines from the flanges 10 to the runner 1, thereby forming a much stronger brace than can be produced by side plates extending in vertical, concave or convex lines. The plates are constructed of flat sheets of metal with easy bends, no part being drawn, swagcd or shrunk, thereby shaping the sides of the shell so as to withstand the greatest strain with the least amount of material. The shell plates are attached to the runner as near the lower edge thereof as practical so as to withstand strains exerted upon the blade and yet permit the blade to be repeatedly sharpened.

By means of such construction, a skate is provided light and comfortable in structure, without openings or recesses of any kind, with the body portion attached to the runner in such a manner as to withstand to the greatest advantage all strains exerted upon the runner, with no point projecting outward, and avoiding the disadvantages and inconveniences commonly arising from structures in which the heel and toe only are secured to the skate, and the intermediate portion of the shoe left Without support, to sag and become uncomfortably loose.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A skate comprising a runner having a tongue projecting upward from the forward end thereof, and a shell body comprising shell plates secured at their lower edge to the sides of said runner, and at their forward end to said tongue, and provided on their upper portion with a laterall projecting perforated flange extending a ong the heel, shank and ball ortion of the skate.

2. A s ate comprising a runner having a tongue rojecting upwardly from the forward end thereof, and a shell body comprising side plates secured at their lower edge to the sides of said runner and at their forward end to said tongue, extendin upwardly from said runner in straight inc ined lines, and

pro vided with laterally projecting perforated flange extending from the heel to the toe of the skate.

3. A skate comprising a runner, and a shell body having side plates extending in vertically inclined straight lines, and provided with flanges on their lower edges attached to said runner, and having also end flanges, and a laterally projecting perforated flange on the u per portion of said side plates extending the ength of the upper portion of the skate forming a continuous bearing for the ball, shank and heel ortion of a shoe.

In testimony whereo I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GILBERT FLETCHER.

Witnesses:

J. H. MOFADZEAN, LAWRENCE L. CRozE. 

